Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

Ok, other than using a terminator tool to gain access to a plastic phone or cablevision box to do a direct or clamp connect to lines inside, any suggestions on locating underground telecomm lines when lines go into wall behind the plastic box? ... pic.

Can't induction clamp to anything and in this case, had no access inside house currently. No pedestal in neighbourhood visible either.

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

In my experience this is a house that has new siding on it. If you look down you may see where the line comes out from the siding and goes into the ground. You might have to dig around or follow the siding to find the line but it is there somewhere. Then you can clamp on to it or you might find the ground wire and disconnect it and hook up to the ground wire.

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

Do you have a ped wrench? You should be able to open the box and direct connect to some copper in there if it's telephone, or direct connect to the sheath if its coaxial cable.

Otherwise like TCV said, start looking around for the comm lines along the side of the house. Could be coming in from above or leaving on a wall or corner, most likely going to be painted to match the color of the siding.

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

There HAS to be a ped somewhere. Maybe in the bushes or hidden by landscaping. If you can find the electric ground rod nearby there may be a ground for the comm line on it. Disconnect that ground wire and direct connect to it. Connect to the electric box. If the comm line has any grounding at all you should be able to pick up a shallow signal that you might be able to follow to a ped.

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

Originally Posted by daman1

There HAS to be a ped somewhere. Maybe in the bushes or hidden by landscaping. If you can find the electric ground rod nearby there may be a ground for the comm line on it. Disconnect that ground wire and direct connect to it. Connect to the electric box. If the comm line has any grounding at all you should be able to pick up a shallow signal that you might be able to follow to a ped.

There are some peds that are "encapsulated" . These are sealed splice points that are buried.

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

this can be tricky.....sometimes other rooms will have the catv line running outside the house along the vinyl soffett and there is your way of hooking up to the line to send a signal back down the line to be located . this is hard to explain ....

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

Originally Posted by RanVan

Ok, other than using a terminator tool to gain access to a plastic phone or cablevision box to do a direct or clamp connect to lines inside, any suggestions on locating underground telecomm lines when lines go into wall behind the plastic box? ... pic.

Can't induction clamp to anything and in this case, had no access inside house currently. No pedestal in neighbourhood visible either.

Seems like a straight forward NO, but thought I'd ask.

by the way....this is not all lost . this job can still be performed as long as the catv is a hot working line....

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

Originally Posted by ProfessionalLocator

There are some peds that are "encapsulated" . These are sealed splice points that are buried.

That's a new one for me. What a pain in the ace. The closest we get to that in my area is hand hole peds that get covered with dirt and then grass grows on them. I had to poke around with my slammer rod just to find them.

You can also go next door and connect. Light everything up and try to backfeed the signal.

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

Originally Posted by TheCableVine

In my experience this is a house that has new siding on it. If you look down you may see where the line comes out from the siding and goes into the ground. You might have to dig around or follow the siding to find the line but it is there somewhere. Then you can clamp on to it or you might find the ground wire and disconnect it and hook up to the ground wire.

Lots of good suggestions in comments. Thanks guys. I do have my terminator tool but not supposed to use unauth and don't want homeowner in trouble if it gets buggered or I leave evidence of entry. Last resort if I need to though.

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

Do you have a ped wrench? You should be able to open the box and direct connect to some copper in there if it's telephone, or direct connect to the sheath if its coaxial cable.

Otherwise like TCV said, start looking around for the comm lines along the side of the house. Could be coming in from above or leaving on a wall or corner, most likely going to be painted to match the color of the siding.

Ped wrench... No...only termination tool to get in house catv box. I know there is ped out there somewhere but just could not see searched high and low. There is wooded area 200 feet down road... Maybe in there.

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

You've been given the obvious things to look for. The less obvious could be the phone line comes in on the other side of the house and has been re-routed under the siding to where the current phone box is. These things happen when houses are flipped. It is very uncommon but it happens.

As far as the ped it could be buried in a flush mount and covered by dirt. That is also very uncommon but you'll see it once in a while. They are hard to find but are generally where you would expect them. Another possibility is that the ped is covered by an odd looking little "birdhouse" type structure or by a fake rock. CATV peds are most commonly covered by fake rocks because they are a lower profile (when covered) but occasionally you'll see a phone ped covered by one of these things. Just give them a light kick and you'll see.

I've seen enough of them that I thought it might be a cool little hobby/business to build ped covers that were more pleasing to the eye than a green box.

Re: Locating Telecoms when plastic box conceals all

SNI tool will open the telecom box easily. If you don't have one a good pair of needle nose pliers works as well.

'ENC' cables (encapsulated) are a pain. Old neighborhoods can have these lines. One ped for the entire street and the drops can begin anywhere on the main cable and run forever before they hit the house.